The Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) has officially admitted fresh students of the 2011/2012 academic year in the conventional ceremony of matriculation under the chairmanship of Mr. Emmanuel Acquaye, member of the IPS Governing Council.

 About 3,080 students were admitted to pursue Diploma, Undergraduate and Graduate programmes in the fields of Accounting, Marketing, Public Relations Management, Administration, Management, Banking & Finance, Auditing, Accounting & Finance,  Leadership & Governance and Corporate Governance.

The Rector officially welcomed and congratulated the newly admitted students and highlighted the various strides made by the Institute in its quest to become the leading business education provider in Africa and beyond. These include free professional tuition for brilliant level 200 BSc Accounting students on the Regular Session to acquire  professional qualification in addition to academic degree, introduction of new grading system,  computer-based examinations, international collaborations with Ilorin University (Nigeria), Bordeaux School of Management (Senegal), Swiss Management Center (USA) and Business School of Mali.
  
New progammes currently at various stages of the accreditation process were enumerated as follows:
*Tertiary Diploma, Information Technology
* BSc, Information Technology
* BSc, Public Relations Management
* MBA, Oil and Gas Management
* MBA, Internal Auditing
* One year Top-Up from MBA to M.Phil.

Professor Alabi appealed to the Government to restore the refund of examination and registration expenses for the professional programmes. He also indicated that Management is considering establishing Evening and Weekend lecture sessions for the professional programmes in ICAG, ACCA, CIMA.ICSA and CIM.

He advised the students to be disciplined and diligent and made a passionate appeal to Government, Philanthropists, Alumni and the VALCO Trust Fund to assist in the construction of an auditorium for seminars and public lectures in the Institute.

7^th November 2011

Fresh students for the 2011/2012 academic year have been given orientation aimed at enhancing their roles as students In the IPS community. The two-day programme, organized by the Student Services Unit of the Institute, was attended by Management members, Lecturers , Deans and Medical Officers of the Institute who addressed various relevant topics.

The Rector, Professor Joshua Alabi in his address, spoke on the infrastructural developments being executed on campus as an initiative to increase student intake capacity. He reminded them of their predecessor’s contribution through the payment of facility user fees as Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to finance infrastructural developments and urged them to do same.

Various Officers of the Institute gave in-depth overviews of what pertains in the community. Topics presented include:

• History of the Institute
• Challenges of University Life
•  Mission, Vision and Core Values of the Institute
• Research
• Campus Regulations
• Library System
• Administrative Setup
•  Rules on Courses, Examinations and Grading System
•  ICT Facilities
• Health Needs and Sporting Activities
•  Financial Aid
• Counseling and Religious Matters
• Student Representative Council (SRC)

In a related development, about 123 fresh students who have been admitted to the Masters Degree Programmes were also taken through a similar exercise at the School of Research and Graduate Studies (SORAGS) of the Institute.

The Rector also highlighted on the impending change of name  from Institute of Professional Studies to University of Professional Studies, giving an assurance that the process was in its final stage. He used the opportunity to press home the notion that managers of public institutions are usually drawn back by laws of the land in their quest to achieve some balance between upholding  laws   and moving the institutions with the necessary speed required for outstanding impact, development and relevance to societal needs.

Students were advised to make the Graduate School experience relevant and useful to themselves, their families and the society in entirety by being  a “learning people” rather than “learned” and developing not only their “heads” but the “heart and hands”.

The Institute currently runs tertiary diploma, undergraduate and graduate programmes as well as professional programmes. The Graduate School of IPS is research based and offers programmes in Accounting and Finance,  Auditing, Corporate Governance, Global Leadership and Marketing.

15^th September 2011

Academic Staff of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) attended a three-day Training Workshop on Quality of Academic Assessment from the 13th-15th July, 2011.  The aim of the Workshop was to enhance the knowledge of Academic Staff on the principles of assessment, with live cases of good and bad practices. The Training Workshop is part of the Institute’s effort at ensuring improvement in the quality of Teaching and Learning. This is in line with the Institute’s shift from teacher-dependent practices to a student-centred approach.

The Institute has developed a concept called Teaching and Learning Outcome Deployment (TLOD) to manage the quality of Teaching and Learning.   This concept is based on the “Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate (ADDIE)” Instructional Design Standards, the Blooms Taxonomy and Principles of Course Preparation. 

The Institute has developed templates and processes for the design, development and implementation of teaching and learning outcomes. The implementation component entails teaching of developed courses based on standardized teaching and learning outcomes and plans. An additional facility, the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS), serves as a platform to support traditional face-to-face teaching and learning.  The LMS is a mobile and web-based technology that allows students of the Institute to access teaching and learning materials online on- and off-campus. It also allows students to interact with course facilitators outside the lecture room.  IPS is among the first higher education institutions in Ghana to use Moodle for teaching and learning. Currently, Moodle is used extensively in the School of Research and Graduate Studies (SORAGS) and is being piloted at the Undergraduate Level.

The Evaluation component entails course assessment, monitoring of teaching plans, and course appraisals. The Institute has developed an Online Examination System (OES) to support assessments of large class sizes. One of the requirements for the   enhancement of quality of academic assessments is training in course assessments, for which reason this Training Workshop was organized.

The Workshop started with an overview presentation on the IPS Learning Management System (LMS) and the Online Examination System (OES). Vital issues on assessment highlighted at the Workshop include; principles of course achievement testing/assessment, the construction of  true and false tests, short answer test, tests involving calculations, essay-type tests as well as preparation of marking schemes and administration of achievements  tests.

The Lead Facilitator of the Workshop, organized at the SORAGS of IPS, was Professor Y.K.A Etsey of the Department of Educational Foundations, University of Cape Coast. He was supported by the Rev. Mrs. Goski Alabi, the Dean of SORAGS and Mr. Edwin Ayernor, the Systems Administrator.

The keynote address at the Opening Ceremony was given by the Rector of the Institute, Professor Joshua Alabi, who encouraged all Academic Staff to participate actively in the Workshop to improve the quality of assessment in the Institute. Other Management staff present included the Pro-Rector, the Registrar and the Director of Academic Affairs.

IPS is one of five higher education institutions selected for the Europe-Africa Quality Connect Project, which aims primarily at enhancing academic quality assurance practices in higher education institutions in Africa.

21st  July 2011

Prof. Joshua Alabi, Rector of The Institute of Professional Studies was inducted as a  member of Executive Committee and chair of the West African Region  of the International Association of University President at the just ended 17th Triennial Congress in New York.
The International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) is an association of university chief executives from higher education institutions around the world. Membership is limited to those individuals who serve as presidents, rectors or vice-chancellors at regionally accredited colleges or universities.
IAUP was founded in 1964 and has continued to strive for excellence in the following:

• to increase the exchange of experiences, levels of collaboration and networking between university leaders.
• to provide a well informed forum for university leaders throughout the world.
• to contribute to a worldwide vision of higher education.
• to strengthen the international mission of institutions throughout the world.
• to make every effort for the voice of educational leaders to be heard.
• to support sustainable development in a context of global competency.
• to promote peace and international understanding through education.

IAUP is a NGO (Non Governmental Organization) holding the highest (ECOSOC) consultation rights at the United Nations and formal consultation rights with UNESCO.
The primary purpose is to strengthen the international mission and quality of education of these institutions in an increasingly interdependent world, and to promote global awareness and competence as well as peace and international understanding through education. It is a unique worldwide platform that facilitates the exchange of professional experience through conferences, seminars, publications, and commissions. 
IAUP believes the best approach to achieve its aims are to:

• be independent of all ideological and political interests. contribute to international

dialogue, tolerance and understanding in the promotion of international justice,
-operation and peace; and

• continue giving positive and creative support to its members, by providing an

active global network and forum specifically for the heads of universities in which they can: share their valuable experiences and outcomes;

• contribute towards the development of universities in economically deprived regions throughout the world;
• respond to the need to widen access to university for students from disadvantaged backgrounds;
• help to introduce new qualitative developments in the wider university sector;
• extend and enhance the international dimension of their universities; and
• ensure that universities continue to support and reinforce cultural diversities that are vital for sustaining the development of personal identities, social cohension and human creativity.

The IAUP was founded in 1964 by  university leaders from the US, South Korea, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Liberia, who conceived the need  for  creation of a worldwide organisation that would facilitate communication among higher education leaders from various countries, promoting friendship and collaboration between them. The inaugural IAUP conference was held in Oxford, England in June 1965, with the participation of about 120 representatives of universities from 21 countries. Over the years, IAUP has contributed to the strengthening of the international mission and quality of education of its member institutions and has grown to become an association of around 600 members from over 100 countries. The rich series of academic events and activities of IAUP have drawn the attention and respect of many world leaders. Lleaders have personally attended IAUP events through its history:President Bill Clinton of the United States; Mr. Chung Hee Park, President of Korea; President Tubman of Liberia; His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran and Queen Farah; Mr. Rodrigo Carazo Odio, President of Costa Rica; His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand; Mr. Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado, President of Mexico; His Majesty King Juan Carlos, of Spain and Queen Sofia; His Majesty Prince Takamado and Princess Takamado of Japan; His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians; His Excellency Peter Hollingworth, Governor-General of Commonwealth of Australia. Also, Her Majesty Princess Chulaborn of Thailand; Prime Minister Toshio Kaifu of Japan; Prime Minister J.L Dehaene of Belgium; Prof. Dr. Emil Constantinescu, President of Rumania; Former Prime Ministers Harold Wilson of Great Britain; Prem Tinsulanonda of Thailand; G. Fitzgerald of Ireland, M. Eyskens of Belgium; Dr. Federico Mayor, Director General of UNESCO; J.M Gil Robles, President of the European Parliament; HRH Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn of Thailand; Former President Fidel Ramos, of Philippines; Nobel Peace Laureate Jose Romos-Horta of East Timor; Dr. Jane Goodall, of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN messenger for Peace, among many distinguished personalities.

24th June, 2011

The construction of the SRC/Alabi Hostels begins after the project site was handed over to the contractor, Top International Engineering Ltd, on 16th June, 2011.

The handing-over ceremony took place at the project site, located at the eastern end of the University of Ghana, near the Institute of Languages. It was attended by the Pro-Rector, the Registrar, the Director of Academic Affairs, the Dean of the Evening School, the Acting Director of Public Relations and the Physical Development Officer on one hand and representatives from Top International Engineering and Phase 2 Consultants & Contracts Ltd – the Project Consultants.

The SRC/Alabi Hostels is expected to be completed in three years and would accommodate over 1000 students. The 8 – Level hostel, the first to be constructed by the Institute of Professional Studies, is being funded by the Amalbank on build – and – transfer basis. The Pro-Rector, Mr. S. T. Akrobo presented the handing-over documents to the Deputy Managing-Director of Top International, Mr. Duan-Dezhi, who also received one set of the hostel drawings from the Registrar, Dr. Seidu Mustapha. The Engineer of Phase 2 Consultants & Contracts Ltd., Mr. David Tetteh, presented the Site Certificate to Mr. Duan Dezhi, who in turn presented it to the Pro-Rector to mark the end of the handing–over ceremony.

IPS is currently undertaking massive infrastructural developments with the construction of a lecture hall complex, a library and a modern administration block, all equipped with facilities to cater for physically-challenged persons.

20th June, 2011

The Institute of Professional Studies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria, a prestigious university ranked first among all Nigerian Universities. The agreement, which was signed on the 20^th of April 2011 at the Graduate School of IPS, will mutually benefit both institutions.

The Vice-Chancellor of Ilorin University, Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oleyede commended the Institute of Professional Studies for its steady growth within a relatively short period. A feat, which according to him was achieved through vision and teamwork under the leadership of Professor Joshua Alabi.

He added that the academic and professional nature of IPS makes it a unique university and an appropriate partner in the provision of higher education. Professor Oleyede noted that the low ranking of African universities on the recent World University Rankings should not be allowed to instill a sense of low self esteem sinces the sources of such studies are sometimes questionable.

The Rector of IPS, Professor Joshua Alabi observed that IPS will tap from the knowledge base and oil experience of Nigeria through Ilorin University, to run oil related programmes in Accounting and Management with emphasis on graduate programmes.

The agreement will benefit the two insitutions in areas such as distant education, exchange internship opportunities for students, joint research cooperation, curriculum development, joint supervision of post graduate projects and thesis, and so on.

In addition, the IPS Journal of Business Research (JBR) will serve as a platform for the dissemination of research findings in both institutions.

The Institute of Professional Studies was granted a presidential charter which gave it a fully fledged university status in September, 2008.

21st April 2011